The Plague by Albert Camus

So I reread Camus’ The Plague this month after maybe 15 years. Written in 1947, its description of human psychology under a pandemic, whether stoic or wilting, is pertinent, and the governmental reluctance to call the plague what it is for political reasons, is revealing. Possibly it was the era, but the government, despite the pain, did step up, did contain it and show it has a purpose. A truly memorable book, but these quotes stood out

1. “What’s natural is the microbe. All the rest, health, integrity, purity (if you like), is a product of human will.” Or in this case, a lack of will.

2. “And our troubles spring from our failure to use plain, clean-cut language.”

3. “We should fight this as destruction is an easier, speedier process than reconstruction.”

4. “That what those jubilant crowds (after the pandemic) didn’t seem to know is it all could have been learnt from books.”